‘Phantom of the Opera’: dazzling smoke & mirrors

SCHENECTADY - If you think bigger is better then you will really enjoy the national tour of “The Phantom of the Opera” playing Proctors Theatre in Schenectady through Sunday.

In fact, it’s not big – it’s massive. A huge three-story fortress-like structure dominates the visual aspect of the show providing an imposing backdrop for the opera house. The wall turns to show backstage, an office and various other locales which makes the set design by Paul Brown even more impressive. Maria Bjornson’s costumes are dazzling and the moody lighting by Paule Constable creates an ominous environment.

However, there is a certain irony in a production that boarders on “spectacle overload” as the most memorable moments are those that are most simply staged.

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You leave this production impressed with the largeness of the production but you remember the songs “The Music of the Night,” and “All I Ask of You” which are performed with an engaging quietness. They and other songs like “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” and “I’ve Been There” are the few times emotions are touched in anhonest way.

A lot of the show is filled with extravagant production numbers that are dazzling to the eye, but most are filled with excess energy that fails to hide their emptiness of purpose. Strangely the numbers which are designed to distract from the emptiness of the story, become merely distracting.

The hero of the production is director Laurence Connor who’s greatest contribution to the production is moving large numbers of people around the stage in visually interesting ways. However, I take back the compliment if he is the person who decided to give the Phantom X-Man-like powers like having the ability to foil his foes by tossing fireballs, that emanate from his hands.

When the show trusts the story, the leads are able to create romantic characters. Cooper Grodin is a modern Phantom, a man filled with angst who tries to fight his evil nature but loses to the pain of unrequited love. Julia Udine is a sweet Christine and Ben Jacoby does all that can be done with a character so ill-defined as Raoul. All sing well and they do bring passion to the few songs in the show that deserves intelligent lyrical interpretation.

“The Phantom of the Opera” is a theater piece that is mostly smoke and mirrors. But at Proctors Theatre the mirrors, and especially the smoke, are dazzling.

“The Phantom of the Opera” at Proctors Theatre, through Sunday. 382-3884, www.proctors.com